The unsolicited diary as a qualitative research tool for advanced researchcapacity in the field of health and illness

In this article, the place of diary method is examined in the context of qu alitative tools. Although much neglected in qualitative methodology, there is considerable support for its use, and it is argued that unsolicited diar y analysis as a qualitative tool has value as a social research method. Alt hough if is commissioned or solicited diaries that are increasingly popular in health research, different kinds of diary usage are examined together w ith certain possible biases and weaknesses. Although framework analysis was originally developed for analyzing interview data, it is seen as an approp riate qualitative tool for the analysis of unsolicited diaries. The analysi s of an unsolicited diary account of a patient suffering from cancer of the larynx is explored as a potential data source.